Winnetka students recognized for literary talent

Regional awards go to 3 at North Shore Country Day

Josh Hoeflich, 16, of Glencoe, is one of three North Shore Country Day students who recently Gold Key recognition in the 2013 Scholastic Arts & Writing Awards. (North Shore Country Day, handout)

When 16-year-old Josh Hoeflich was contemplating a topic for an essay for a summer class last year, he didn't have to look far for inspiration. The Glencoe teenager said he decided to write about his relationship with his older brother.

"We've grown up together, and it's about the way it worked," Hoeflich said. "I tried to make it funny. I tried to look from an outside perspective and pick out the things that were funny and mesh them together."

His approach apparently worked. Hoeflich and two other students at North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka recently received Gold Key recognition in the 2013 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, dedicated to bringing the artistic and literary talent of teens to a national audience.

Founded in 1923, the awards represent the nation's longest-running educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts. The program has a 90-year legacy of acknowledging creative talent and is the largest source of scholarships for creative teens, according to the organization's website.

The Gold Key is the highest level of achievement for student artists and writers at the regional level. It is given to students whose work best exemplifies originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice, the website said.

A panel of judges chose Hoeflich's personal essay "Jacob and I" to be recognized with a Gold Key. Hoeflich said he was humbled when he heard he had been honored.

"It's just the fact the people connected with something that I wrote and created," he said "That humbles me."

North Shore Country Day student Declan Falls, 16, won a Gold Key for his short story titled "The Lamarckian." He said the story was about 19th-century biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who was a contemporary of evolutionist Charles Darwin.

"Now we know Lamarck's theory was wrong, but basically my story is about what if his theory was correct?" said Falls, who lives in Evanston. "What would evolution be like?"

He said he came up with the idea for the short story in biology class.

"I thought that would make a pretty cool short story, so I just tried it out and I ended up really liking it," Falls said.

English teacher Kathy McHugh said this was the first time in her 19 years at the school that three students had been recognized with Gold Keys in the same year.

"They're incredibly excited," she said. "What I really like is that they chose to enter this. This is not a class assignment. They want to write for an audience beyond the school about things that excite them. To have that kind of recognition of excellence just encourages them to get involved in other competitions."

North Shore Country Day senior, Hayun Cho, 18, was also recognized with a Gold Key for her portfolio submission, which includes poetry and personal essays. She said her favorite poem in the portfolio is titled, "Look Glass."

"It kind of dealt with the way I feel culturally and personally at odds with myself and finding my place in the world as a young person," said Cho.

Last year, Cho was selected a Gold Key recipient at the national level for a collection of five poems she submitted.

"It felt kind of surreal," she said. "It was really nice to see people recognized it at a national level. As a writer to have someone appreciate your writing, is one of the greatest gifts."

She said she has been writing poetry since the third grade and that she feels compelled to write.

"It's the most efficient way to express myself," said Cho, who lives in Wilmette. "For me, it's been a way of understanding myself and understanding the world around me."

Although the three students did not go on to compete at the national event, McHugh said being recognized at the regional level is exceptional.

"Participating in this kind of thing helps them find a broader audience, to gain the confidence to really go out there are get their work published," she said. "Each of those students has a real love of reading and writing."